Turkish FM calls U.S. Secretary of State ahead of Yerevan visit

December 11, 2013 - 16:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and U.S. Secretary of John Kerry discussed on phone the situation in the South Caucasus as well as the Turkish Minister’s forthcoming visit to Yerevan for participation in the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) summit on Thursday, Dec 12.

“The agenda [of the visit] has not been determined yet, however I don’t rule out a possibility of bilateral meetings,” Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara, according to Haberler.

Davutoglu was quoted as saying that Ankara always “paid attention to normalization of relations with Armenia. “Turkey always repeated that normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan will bring peace to the South Caucasus only in case the Armenian-Azerbaijani ties are mended and regional conflicts are settled,” he said, adding that Ankara “is open for any initiative aimed at establishment of lasting peace in the region.”

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.